Copyright 1999 Journal Sentinel Inc.
Milwaukee
Journal Sentinel
August 2, 1999 Monday Final
SECTION: News Pg. 11
LENGTH:
233 words
HEADLINE: Birth control is real disease
BODY:
I read with frustration the
article in the Lifestyle section about the debate over whether insurance
companies should be forced to cover contraceptives
(Contraceptive-coverage debate resumes," July 25).
I
had been under the impression that health insurance was for times when people
were sick and in need of a doctor's care. Since when is a woman "sick" because
her reproductive system is operating as God designed it? Why, when society is
pushing for all-natural foods and "getting back to nature," are some people so
hellbent on messing with a woman's normal bodily functions?
Where in
this article were the failure and complication rates for the women who use oral
contraceptives, intrauterine devices, Depo Provera, Norplant and diaphragms?
There was not even one sentence in the article on the epidemic of sexually
transmitted diseases. What about the costs incurred treating these diseases?
Why should insurance companies -- you and me -- pay for drugs and
devices that only cause more medical problems and diseases down the road?
How many people reading that article were "unintended pregnancies"? Does
that mean anyone who was a surprise to their parents has less of a right to
exist, is somehow less human or is of less value to society?
The real
disease we should all be working to eradicate is the contraceptive mentality.
Christine M. VanderBloemen
Brookfield
LOAD-DATE: August 3, 1999 
